High School Football: Laguna hopes to end season on high note
Ten games. That’s the length of the 2014 season for the Laguna Beach football team.
The Breakers will play their 10th game of the year and conclude their season on the same day Friday when they celebrate Senior Night against Godinez. The Orange Coast League finale between the Breakers and Grizzlies kicks off at 7 p.m. at Guyer Field.
The season-ender presents Laguna a final chance to head into the off-season on a good note. The Breakers, along with Godinez, are 0-4 in league. A win against the Grizzlies also would put an end to an eight-game skid for Laguna (1-8).
There may be no playoff berth this year, but the Breakers have flirted with contending for one. In their past three league games, they have battled Saddleback, Estancia and Calvary Chapel — two teams that will be, and another possibly be, headed to the postseason, in games in which they could have emerged victorious.
Saddleback and Estancia meet Friday at Estancia to determine the OCL champion. The Roadrunners and Eagles, both 4-0 in league entering the game, are assured a berth in next week’s CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs. Calvary Chapel (2-2) meets Costa Mesa (2-2) Thursday, the winner securing the league’s third and final automatic playoff bid.
Laguna went to overtime last week against Calvary Chapel where they were defeated, 35-28. It marked the second consecutive year the Breakers and Eagles have gone to overtime.
Calvary Chapel also won last year’s wild thriller, 62-56.
In last Friday’s game, Laguna overcame a 7-0 deficit to lead, 14-7, at the half, but trailed, 21-14, heading into the fourth quarter. The Breakers tied the score (21-21) with 8:34 remaining on a 16-yard run by sophomore running back Nick Krantz, but Calvary Chapel returned the ensuing kickoff inside the Laguna 5 and scored on a short run to regain the lead at 28-21.
The Breakers drew even again when their ensuing drive, a nine-play march that began at their own 37, ended on a 15-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Jack Simon to sophomore tight end Kyle McCombs with 2:56 left.
Laguna had a chance to win in regulation but Max Casper’s 42-yard field goal attempt was blocked.
Calvary Chapel held possession first in overtime and scored on a one-yard run. After reaching the 12 on its possession, Laguna’s shot at extending the game ended with an interception.
Krantz rushed for three TDs in the game, scoring on runs of 11 and seven yards in the opening half to stake Laguna to its halftime lead.
The sophomore was called upon 37 times and gained a season-high 192 yards. Simon (five of 12) threw for 106 yards and senior receiver Brett Tracy had two receptions for 76 yards.
“They never gave up and believed we could win that game until the very last play of the game,” Laguna Coach Corey Brown said of his players. “We had many of our players step up in the game and make plays when called on. I’m very proud of the heart and will to win that they showed last week.
“A huge play, and maybe a turning point, was when they (Calvary Chapel) ran back our kickoff to the three-yard line after we just tied the game (21-21). Even after that, we had a chance to win at the end of regulation, Unfortunately, we had our field goal blocked.”
Like Laguna, Godinez is seeking to end its season on a high note: The Grizzlies have struggled in 2014 and come into Friday’s game winless.
Brown said the Grizzlies (0-9) present “another big challenge for us.”
“Godinez is a very physical team and we must maintain energy and hustle for the entire game,” he said. “Godinez will be hungry for a win. They have a ton of seniors who do not want to go 0-10 their senior year. We will have to play our best game to earn a win.”
Brown said that nine seniors are on the 2014 Laguna roster. He has hopes that this final game as a Breaker, coming at home, will have a lasting impression on the group.
“The most important thing for me is that our seniors walk away with lifelong memories of their time as a high school football player,” he said. “We all have moments throughout the day or a season that turn into a memory. I want my players to reflect on high school football as a positive and meaningful memory.”
—
Results/Schedule
Laguna Beach (1-8)
45...Bolsa Grande...12
10...University...37
21...Westminster...57
14...St. Margaret’s...35
14...Northwood...38
0...*Costa Mesa...48
31...*Saddleback...38
6..: *Estancia...17
28...*Calvary Chapel...35 (OT)
Friday: *Godinez
(*denotes league game)
*
Twitter: @MikeSciacca